The Cross is the symbol of the Christian faith. There are other symbols we use, but there is no doubt that the cross is the best known. Just look about at how many crosses are here at church.
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On our steeple.
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Crucifix at the entrance
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A whole wall in the narthex
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Behind the altar
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Processional cross
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Pulpit
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Banner
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Doors – Cross and book
Why? Why is the cross so important to us? Because the cross is
where Jesus suffered and died to pay for our sins. The cross is why Jesus came.
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And he strictly charged and commanded them to
tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of
Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief
priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
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At least 3 times in his ministry Jesus predicted
his death – his focus was on the cross.
This symbol marks us to say, “I am one who is saved by Jesus’
death for me.”
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Baptism
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Invocation
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Prayer
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Homes
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Jewelry
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Benediction
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Blessing the children
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Even the ashes on your foreheads.
We use the cross a lot in our lives, but make no mistake,
the cross is an instrument of death. Jesus’ hearers knew that better than us. They
had likely seen them in use. There was nothing positive about a cross before
Jesus used one to pay for our sins. So his words in Luke 9:23 would have shocked
his hearers:
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And he said to all, “If anyone would come
after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and
follow me.”
Jesus speaks of three actions here:
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Deny yourself
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Take up your cross
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Follow Him
These are very different from the world’s advice for how we
should live our lives.
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Consume, buy, accumulate
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Seek comfort, enjoy the pleasures of life, indulge.
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Blaze your own path, follow your heart, pursue
your dreams.
But to all these, Jesus asks, “What good is it to gain the
whole world if you are destroyed and lost in the process?”
The devil and the world are offering so many things our
sinful hearts desire – but they are poison and lead to death.
Jesus says, “Deny yourself.” He is calling you to turn away
from the temptations that tug at you. Do
not indulge in these sinful pleasures. Repent!
Is he saying we should have no pleasure in this life? Of
course not! There is much that is good in God’s creation, and He gives rich
blessings to us in this life. But pleasure, comfort, material wealth, ease, or
even happiness are not the greatest good that God gives. And we must not allow
them to be the focus of our lives!
Jesus says, “Take up your cross.” He is speaking symbolically
of living under the suffering and burden the life of faith gives us. Stick with
thinking of the cross as a symbol of death. What in you must die?
Col 3:5-10 - Put to death therefore what is earthly in
you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and
covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account
of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you
too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But
now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander,
and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to
one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its
practices 10 and have put on the new
self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its
creator.
Gal 5:24 - And those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Rom 6:6 - We know that our old self was crucified
with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so
that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
This is part of the life of the baptized. In fact, the Small
Catechism says that baptism “indicates that the Old Adam (our sinful nature)
should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and
evil desires, and that a new person should daily emerge and arise to live
before God in righteousness and purity forever.”
To take up your cross is to recognize that there is a battle
for your soul, and it is a matter of death or life! We are called to kill the
enemy. But the enemy is not a person. Our enemy is sin, and our only weapon to
kill it is Jesus’ death on the cross. As Colossians says our sins were nailed
to Jesus’ cross in His body.
So as a new person who emerges and arises to live before God
in righteousness and purity forever, we follow Jesus. We seek the kingdom and
it’s righteousness. And, thanks be to God, that righteousness is not something
of our own, but it is Jesus’ righteousness – the righteousness of His cross –
given freely and received by faith.
The cross is the symbol of the Church. It is the image of
our salvation because our actual salvation was won by Jesus on the cross. The
cross also points to our way of life as redeemed children of God.
Jesus says, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow
Jesus.” He is leading you to the everlasting life He won for you. Amen.
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